Hundreds of furious commuters are planning a group compensation claim against Southern Rail after the train disruption left them out of pocket.

Cancelled, delayed and overcrowded services over the past eight months have left many travellers having to pay out hundreds of thousands of pounds for taxis, extra childcare and hotels.

Some have even lost their jobs or been forced to turn down work because they were unable to reach their offices on time - despite paying thousands for season tickets.

Commuters held their own strike at Victoria Station after trains were constantly delayed and cancelled because of Southern strikes

Now hundreds of those hit by the disruption, backed by MPs and campaign groups, have vowed to come together to file a group legal action against Southern.

The Association of British Commuters (ABC), which represents more than a thousand Southern passengers affected by the strikes, is already in talks with lawyers about a possible claim.

They hope to use the precedent of traveller Sergei Cristo, who this week reached an out-of-court settlement with Southern after suing the company.

Overcrowded trains as a result of cancellations and severe delays in 2014 - before the current strikes began - meant he was physically unable to board his commuter service, so couldn’t get to work.

Emily Yates, co-founder of the ABC, who has started raising money for the group legal action against Southern, said last night: ‘We are currently working on ways to facilitate collective claims under the Consumer Rights Act.

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‘Mr Cristo’s case sets a precedent for other commuters, showing them that they don’t have to put up with this ongoing disruption. They deserve compensation and this shows that we can get it.’

Reigate Tory MP Crispin Blunt, who supported Mr Cristo in his battle against the rail operator, has now called for a group action against Southern, saying the case ‘paves the way’ for other long-suffering commuters to bring claims.

Reigate MP Crispin Blunt is one MP who has backed legal action by commuters against Southern Rail

Maria Caulfield, Conservative MP for East Lewes, also backed the legal action, saying: ‘Southern needs to take responsibility. If this was any other type of service, such as a builder in your home, you would get compensation.

‘If the work isn’t done right, or the product you buy doesn’t work, you are compensated.’

Tim Loughton, the Tory MP for East Worthing and Shoreham, added his support as well.

He said: ‘Whilst ultimately my constituents just want a reliable train service it is adding insult to injury that they are not being realistically compensated for a service they are having to pay a premium for.’

I HAD TO SIT ON FLOOR DURING MY PREGNANCY

Alexandra Hemphreys worked in publishing for six years before becoming a freelance journalist, broadcaster and author

Pregnant Alexandra Hemphreys has lost more than £5,000 as a result of the disruption on the Southern Rail network.

But her main reason for joining the class action against the company is the ‘shocking’ way she was treated during her pregnancy.

It took Mrs Hemphreys, 40, who has a history of miscarriages, two months to obtain a ‘priority card’ that would ensure she could get a seat on her Southern service from Hove to London.

In the meantime, the author and journalist, who is now six months pregnant, was forced to repeatedly sit on the floor when she travelled to the capital for work.

‘I want to join a class action to be compensated for how poorly I was treated,’ she said.

But when she was granted the pass, she said that overcrowded trains meant she was unable to move down the train in order to request a seat as carriages were so full.

Mrs Hemphreys, who works as a freelancer, has had to fork out thousands on taxis and hotel stays due to cancelled or severely delayed trains.

She has also had to turn down several contracts as a result of rail uncertainty.

In total the additional expenditure has cost her more than £5,000, she says.

‘I think it’s great that commuters are coming together in this way as there has been no one that speaks for commuters, leaving us helpless,’ she said.

‘I hope this class action will ensure our voices are heard and we can get the compensation we deserve.’

Mrs Hemphreys added that before the strikes she would be ‘in and out of London all the time’ as it was just a ‘short commute’,

Now she avoids London as much as possible given the ‘huge stress’ of Southern’s unreliable trains.

She is ‘dreading’ having to travel to London next week for the launch of her book.

The group legal action is also supported by the Campaign for Better Transport (CBT), which promotes better bus and rail services and has hundreds of thousands of supporters.

Mr Cristo sued Southern over the overcrowded and cancelled trains on his commute from Earlswood in Surrey to London Bridge in 2014, before the recent major strike disruption over driver-only operated trains began in April last year.

His initial attempt to do so was thrown out by a district judge at Reigate County court early last year, but he successfully appealed against the decision in October.

He settled the case with Southern after weeks of talks, but cannot comment on the outcome after signing a confidentiality agreement.

But speaking earlier, he said his successful appeal allowing him to proceed with the case offered a ‘glimmer of hope’ for other commuters who have experienced an even worse service.

He added: ‘It is a major ruling - it is the first time there is any decision that says there is scope [for compensation].’

Southern rail users have previously demanded the company loses its franchise on the network through London and the home counties

Passengers have new rights under the Consumer Rights Act, which came into force for rail users in October. Lawyers say the act could be key for any passengers seeking to bring legal action against Southern.

The Act gives new protection to consumers when a service or goods that they bought is ‘not delivered with reasonable care and skill’.

It also clarifies that information provided to customers before making a purchase – for instance that they will be transported from one place to another - is binding.

Commuters in the Home Counties have been severely disrupted by the ongoing industrial dispute by Southern workers.

The RMT union, which represents conductors, and Aslef, which represents drivers, claim there are safety risks with trains whose doors are opened and closed by the driver - a claim denied by Southern.

Hundreds of thousands of Southern Rail passengers will be left out of pocket after the company refused to compensate them for problems caused by nearly a year of strike misery on the network.

Passengers have been forced to turn down work and to pay for hotels, taxis, rental accommodation, childcare fees and missed medical appointments, none of which will be reimbursed by the rail firm.

Southern has told passengers not to travel ‘at all’ during the latest strikes, which begin next week.

Aslef announced on Wednesday that it will drag out the next wave of strikes until the end of the month - and could announce more in the coming weeks.

Train drivers were due to walk out for six days from Monday, but will now strike for three days next week and then stage further strikes on January 24, 25 and 27.

By staging the action on non-consecutive days, they will make the disruption even worse for commuters as it takes 24 hours after a strike for the network to get back to normal.

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Southern Rail commuters to sue company over rail shambles that has seen some lose jobs